Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many enforcement actions relating to breaches of animal welfare regulations at slaughterhouses were taken by the Food Standards Agency in each of the last five years; and how many of those related to non-stun slaughter.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Between April 2020 and March 2025, 1,935 animal welfare breaches posing potential or imminent animal welfare risk were recorded in slaughterhouses in England and Wales, requiring 2,320 enforcement actions. Some breaches required multiple actions, such as verbal advice followed by written advice.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not routinely collect data on slaughter methods. Approved slaughterhouses may use any compliant method and are not legally required to inform the FSA of the stunning method. Many establishments alternate between stunned and non-stunned slaughter to meet demand. Breaches of animal welfare regulations can occur at any stage after arrival, so it is not possible to confirm whether the method involved was stunned or non-stunned.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; and what proportion of overall working time are they permitted to spend on such network activity.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is transitioning its EDI Networks in line with the new Cabinet Office Guidance.

Currently in DWP we have 8 Departmental EDI Networks. Each Network has 2 co-chairs who receive 25% time allowance and up to 10 committee members who receive 10%. When all roles are occupied (which is not the case currently) this equates to 12FTE. As of November 2025 DWP has an FTE of 84,699, so this equates to around 0.01% of working time.

From April 2026, DWP will still have 8 Departmental EDI Networks. Each Network will have 2 co-chairs who receive 10% time allowance and up to 5 committee members who also receive 10%. EDI Community Network Chairs (of which we have 14) will also receive a 10% time allowance. If all roles are filled this will equate to 7FTE, a reduction of 5FTE.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered the potential merits of introducing mandatory labelling of meat products to indicate the method of slaughter.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 December 2025 to PQ UIN 99375.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the expansion of school-based nurseries will contribute to increasing access to funded childcare, particularly in areas with limited provision.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity, give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. This government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, supporting school led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers and childminders operating from school sites.

Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million successfully awarded to 300 primary phase schools creating up to 6,000 new childcare places. Schools reported that over 5,000 of these places were available from September 2025, helping thousands of families across the country.

The programme secured almost £370 million for future phases. Phase 2, which closed on 11 December, has an increased focus on supporting families from disadvantaged areas which have less access to childcare, and will deliver at least 300 new or expanded nurseries through a £45 million fund. Successful schools will be announced in due course.

Phase 3 is due to launch in early 2026, focussing on local authorities’ long-term strategic needs for their local communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what action her Department will take where local authorities are found to be retaining more than the permitted 3% of early years funding.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The passthrough requirement ensures that the great majority of government funding for the early years entitlements reaches providers so that they can deliver the entitlement offers. The passthrough rate is a statutory requirement set out in the Schools and Early Years Finance Regulations. The minimum passthrough requirement is 96% for financial year 2025/2026 and will increase to 97% in 2026/2027.

The department monitors local authority compliance to the minimum pass-through requirement via section 251 budget returns each financial year and will query any returns that suggest a lower rate than required.

In circumstances where an authority has failed to meet the minimum pass-through requirement, through retaining too much funding centrally or for any other reason, the department holds the right to claw back funding from local authorities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards are now in place to prevent malpractice in English language proficiency tests used for university entrance, following the issues identified by Ofqual with Pearson’s PTE Academic Online test.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and responsible for their own admissions decisions.

Where English is not an applicant's first language, it is right that a provider assures themselves that the applicant has a reasonable likelihood of successfully meeting the academic requirements of the course.

Universities are free to decide their entry criteria, including which language proficiency tests they require applicants to sit, with many higher education providers able to self-assess the English ability of their students.

Additionally, the UK’s student visa arrangements specify the level of English required by those coming here to study. This standard is rigorously enforced by the Home Office.

The online version of this test was introduced by Pearson in response to both the significant disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to international students and has since been discontinued.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 85962 on Special Educational Needs: Hearing Impairment, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making support for families available from birth.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that all children, including deaf and hard of hearing children, have the best possible start in life. The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme aims to identify permanent moderate, severe, and profound deafness and hearing impairment in newborn babies. Screening is offered to all babies in England.

Funding is available to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including deaf and hard of hearing children, to access early education and childcare. This includes special educational needs inclusion funding and disability access funding.

Further, in December 2025, the department announced access to early SEND support across the country through Best Start Family Hubs. In every local authority next year, councils are being tasked with recruiting a dedicated SEND practitioner for every hub to provide direct, family-facing support. The new offer will help parents identify emerging needs sooner, and support vital join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams, including for young children with hearing impairments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to ensure compliance with the new VAT rules for private hire vehicle operators following the closure of access to the Tour Operators Margin Scheme.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC is undertaking a range of measures to ensure compliance with the new VAT rules for private hire vehicle operators (“PHVOs”) following the changes made to the Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (“TOMS”). These measures include publishing a Revenue and Customs Brief (“R&CB”) to explain the legislative changes and to outline the correct processes for operators, working closely with industry stakeholders to address concerns and ensure that operators understand their obligations under the new rules. HMRC’s compliance procedures involve routine audits, risk assessments, and investigations of discrepancies to ensure that all businesses adhere to the VAT requirements. HMRC expects all businesses to comply with their tax obligations, however where they do not HMRC will take steps to correct errors and if necessary use their powers to recover unpaid VAT.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many new enquiries were opened into child benefit claims which were suspended from claimants as a result of data-sharing between HMRC and the Home Office in the period 1 to 31 December 2025.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

There were no new Child Benefit compliance enquiries opened using Home Office international travel data in the period 1st to 31st December 2025. This is because HMRC's focus during that period was on reviewing the c. 23,500 cohort.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of rising and unpredictable police escort costs on the abnormal load haulage sector and the wider tourism supply chain, particularly in rural and coastal areas.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not assessed the impact of police escort costs on the abnormal load haulage sector and the wider tourism supply chain.

The provision and charging for police escorts is an operational matter for individual police forces. We are aware of concerns raised about some police forces increasing the costs for escorting abnormal loads. The Department therefore welcomes the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s revised guidance on abnormal loads, which aims to provide greater consistency and clarity in the approach to abnormal load movements and costs across the country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme to include offences such as stalking, sexual assault and harassment.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable, and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is.

The Government committed in its manifesto to giving stalking victims the right to know the true identity of their online stalker. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing statutory guidance to support the police to release identifying information about a stalker to a victim, so victims can know who is threatening them.

The Crime and Policing Bill will also enable the Home Secretary to issue statutory guidance about the disclosure of information to prevent sexual offending. This will ensure the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme and any similar schemes in the future are delivered consistently by all forces.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme currently enables the police to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner’s or ex-partner's previous abusive or violent offending.

In the recently published Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy we committed to exploring the potential to expand both the stalking Right to Know scheme and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme to other forms of violence against women and girls.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders were subject to alcohol monitoring tags over the Christmas and New Year period in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Department does not directly compare the cost-effectiveness of alcohol monitoring tags and alcohol-related custodial sentences.

Alcohol monitoring is used a tool to assist with the safe management of individuals in the community, where alcohol has been shown to be a factor in their offence or offending behaviour, and in support of other requirements added to a court order or post-custody licence. There will and should be instances where an individual is required to serve a custodial sentence given the offence they have committed and for public protection. The compliance rate of alcohol monitoring imposed by the court as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order, which imposes a total ban on drinking alcohol for up to 120 days, showed from the introduction of the technology in October 2020 through to 6 June 2025, the devices did not register a tamper or alcohol alert for 97.3% of the days worn.

The number of individuals subject to alcohol monitoring between October 2020 and June 2024 is available in Table 4.1 of the data tables published in the following link: Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, June 2024 - GOV.UK. The most recent provisional figures for alcohol monitoring, covering November 2025, can be found in the following link: Ad-Hoc Alcohol Monitoring Statistics Publication, Dec 2025 - GOV.UK

Please note that caseload statistics published after July 2025 are not directly comparable with earlier data due to changes in the definition and methodology used to classify individuals as “tagged”.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the cost-effectiveness of (a) alcohol monitoring tags and (b) custodial sentences for alcohol-related offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Department does not directly compare the cost-effectiveness of alcohol monitoring tags and alcohol-related custodial sentences.

Alcohol monitoring is used a tool to assist with the safe management of individuals in the community, where alcohol has been shown to be a factor in their offence or offending behaviour, and in support of other requirements added to a court order or post-custody licence. There will and should be instances where an individual is required to serve a custodial sentence given the offence they have committed and for public protection. The compliance rate of alcohol monitoring imposed by the court as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order, which imposes a total ban on drinking alcohol for up to 120 days, showed from the introduction of the technology in October 2020 through to 6 June 2025, the devices did not register a tamper or alcohol alert for 97.3% of the days worn.

The number of individuals subject to alcohol monitoring between October 2020 and June 2024 is available in Table 4.1 of the data tables published in the following link: Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, June 2024 - GOV.UK. The most recent provisional figures for alcohol monitoring, covering November 2025, can be found in the following link: Ad-Hoc Alcohol Monitoring Statistics Publication, Dec 2025 - GOV.UK

Please note that caseload statistics published after July 2025 are not directly comparable with earlier data due to changes in the definition and methodology used to classify individuals as “tagged”.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of setting a 2029 deadline for the establishment of dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams on postcode disparities in the investigation of rape and sexual offences.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Rape and sexual offences are amongst the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities. Despite this, we assess only half of police forces in England and Wales have a specialist team to respond to and investigate these offences.

We have therefore instructed all police forces in England and Wales to implement a specialist rape and sexual offence team by 2029 and are working with National Centre for VAWG and Publication to ensure consistency nationally.

Our efforts will mean that by the end of this parliament, victims and their supporters can be confident that, wherever they live, police forces have the right skills, knowledge and capability to deploy every tool available to bring sex offenders to justice and provide the best possible support to victims.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces operate specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams; and which forces do not yet have such teams in place.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Rape and sexual offences are amongst the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities. Despite this, we assess only half of police forces in England and Wales have a specialist team to respond to and investigate these offences.

We have therefore instructed all police forces in England and Wales to implement a specialist rape and sexual offence team by 2029 and are working with National Centre for VAWG and Publication to ensure consistency nationally.

Our efforts will mean that by the end of this parliament, victims and their supporters can be confident that, wherever they live, police forces have the right skills, knowledge and capability to deploy every tool available to bring sex offenders to justice and provide the best possible support to victims.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there will be further expansion of the Rent Repayment Order scheme.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is currently running a Rent Repayment Order pilot with 41 local authorities. The purpose of the pilot is to assess the effectiveness of the scheme and its impact on enforcement activity. We will evaluate the pilot and subject to positive findings, we plan to implement nationally.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to bring forward further reforms to VAT treatment within the taxi and private hire vehicle sector.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Private hire vehicle (PHV) services provided by VAT-registered businesses are, and always have been, subject to the standard rate of VAT (20%).

The Government’s announcement at Autumn Budget 2025 puts an end to the exploitation of a VAT administration scheme, designed for the tour operator sector, by a small number of large private hire vehicle operators seeking to pay a lower rate of VAT than others.

This won’t affect smaller operators outside London whose drivers contract directly with passengers, or black cabs, neither of which have attempted to exploit this scheme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria were used to select the 38 additional local authorities included in the expansion of the Rent Repayment Order data-sharing scheme.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to develop and implement the Rent Repayment Order pilot. The opportunity to participate was offered to all local authorities through Operation Jigsaw, an organisation currently funded by MHCLG, which brings together 309 local housing authorities in England to support the sharing of expertise, best practices, and vital intelligence both regionally and nationally to raise housing standards in the private rented sector.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to ensure that carers affected by overpayments are proactively informed of their right to reassessment, debt reduction or refund.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to my Written Statement of 25 November 2025 HCWS1092 where I set out that the department will be reassessing historical and existing Carer’s Allowance cases with an earnings-related overpayment in England and Wales. This will cover the period between 2015 and summer 2025 where the treatment of fluctuating earnings may have given rise to an incorrect overpayment. We will make sure further information is available on GOV.UK. Constituents do not need to do anything now. In most cases the department will get in touch with people whose overpayments of Carer’s Allowance may be affected.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Canal and River Trust’s grant settlement for maintaining the safety and integrity of inland waterways in England.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Canal maintenance, and ensuring funding for it, is the responsibility of navigation authorities. The Government provides the largest navigation authority, the Canal and River Trust, with an annual grant of £52.6 million to support the Trust’s network maintenance programme. This represented 22% of the Trust’s total income of £232 million last year.

Following a comprehensive review of its funding in 2022, the Government agreed a further 10-year grant for the Trust from 2027 of £401 million. The new grant reflects the importance of inland waterways and provides a stable funding stream, gradually tapering each year, to support CRT as it delivers its long-standing objective of reducing reliance on public funding through developing alternative funding sources.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what metrics are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Young Futures Panel pilots.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Young Futures Programme is a key part of the Safer Streets Mission, and the Government’s target to halve knife crime over the next decade and reduce anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls. Under this programme, the Government is intervening earlier to ensure children and young People who are facing poorer outcomes and are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As part of this, we are piloting new multi-agency Young Futures Panels. These pilots are proactively identifying and referring children and young people who may currently be falling through the gaps to a range of different support services much earlier. 53 Young Futures Panels went operational in October and November 2025, across the areas of the country that collectively account for more than 80% knife crime and have already helped to support hundreds of at-risk young people into positive, diversionary activity.

To support future delivery, the Home Office has appointed RAND Europe to deliver a process evaluation and feasibility impact study of Young Futures Panel pilots in 2025/26.

The process evaluation will look at how the pilot Panels are implemented across the 20 Violence Reduction Units and 3 Serious Violence Duty partnerships involved in the pilot, identifying good practice and learning. In addition, the Home Office have commissioned RAND to conduct a feasibility study to consider whether a future impact evaluation of the programme is viable.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to ensure that private parking operators consider mitigating circumstances, including disability and medical necessity, when issuing parking charge notices.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.

Private parking operators are required to consider The Equality Act 2010, including arrangements for drivers with disabilities, and follow the single industry code launched by the main trade associations.

Operators risk being banned from issuing charges if they do not reasonably comply with the code of practice.

The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.

A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025.

As part of this consultation, views and comments on implications that proposals may have on groups defined by reference to protected characteristics was requested (Question 35a).

All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department issues dog walkers in periods of extreme cold.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Anyone who walks dogs is required to comply with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which requires individuals in control of animals to protect them from unnecessary suffering, and to provide for their welfare needs.

Welfare groups such as the RSCPA and Dogs Trust publish advice on their websites for dog walkers on how to keep dogs healthy and active during periods of cold weather.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to address the situation whereby motorists risk losing the discounted rate if they pursue an appeal against a private parking charge.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.

In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government is preparing a Code of Practice that will provide guidance on the operation and management of private parking facilities.

In preparation for the new Code, the government published a consultation document in 2025 outlining its proposals to raise standards across the private parking industry.

This consultation specifically sought views on the current 40% discount rate for early payment of parking charges and the concerns motorists have regarding its application. All responses are now being analysed, and the government will publish a formal response and set out its final plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to minimise disruption on the rail network in periods of extreme snow and cold weather.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department officials hold regular discussions with Network Rail and the industry to ensure severe weather preparedness plans are in place with clear mitigations to reduce the impacts of weather on the rail network. The industry’s winter preparedness regime begins in September each year.

Special trains and equipment are fully checked and any repairs carried out, while contingency plans are reviewed and agreed with train operators to keep passengers moving during adverse weather. Network Rail use detailed forecasts from weather experts, MetDesk, to formulate local action plans during adverse weather to minimise disruption to journeys. These forecasts cover not just the weather but how the conditions will impact on specific railway infrastructure such as the tracks, conductor rails, and overhead power lines.

A network of hundreds of monitoring stations also provides real-time weather data, enabling Network Rail to respond to conditions as they develop in real time. In extreme weather conditions, Network Rail and train operators prioritise getting passengers home safely over running the normal timetable. It also prioritises vital rail freight to ensure the supply of essential goods across the country and fuel to power stations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how migration data is shared with the Office for National Statistics to inform population estimates.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 7th January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of population estimates derived from the 2021 Census.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 7th January is attached.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new 40% first year allowance for for main-rate plant and machinery on the level of regional investment and economic growth.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has introduced a new 40% first-year allowance (FYA) from 1 January 2026. This is a permanent new feature of the capital allowance regime. This new FYA will allow businesses to deduct much of the cost of their investment in the year they make that investment and lower their tax bill. Crucially, this FYA will be available for assets bought for leasing and for unincorporated businesses which do not benefit from full expensing, increasing the amount of relief that can be claimed in the year of investment.

For future investment, the present value and cost of capital for businesses that claim the new FYA remains broadly the same when considered alongside the changes to writing down allowances also announced at Budget. The expected impacts of this measure and planned monitoring are set out on gov.uk:

Capital allowances: new first-year allowance and reducing main rate writing-down allowances - GOV.UK

This policy is UK-wide and so businesses across all regions of the UK can claim this allowance. We are attracting international investors to opportunities across the country, with the £10 billion of investment commitments announced at our recent Regional Investment Summit.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to answer 98955 of 16 December 2025 on Child Benefit, how many of the 7,781 enquiries which remained open have since been addressed; and what the outcomes were.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

In total, of the 23,794 enquiries opened, 1,109 have been determined non-compliant. 5,637 remain open.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to address inconsistencies between police forces in their interpretation and application of escort requirements for lawful abnormal load movements.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police are best placed to determine police escort requirements for abnormal loads, based on a thorough assessment of local risk, which can include consideration of the risks to road users and the potential for congestion. A decision should take account of the force’s local geography, traffic conditions and events taking place. Forces should take account of the National Police Chiefs’ Council guidance to ensure decisions are safe, practical and effective.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Guidance on the management of abnormal loads was last updated in May 2025. It sets out consistent principles to guide force’s decision based on local circumstances.

There are no plans to introduce a national regulatory framework governing the movement of abnormal loads. The government is satisfied that decisions are best handled by individual police forces to ensure decisions reflect local conditions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce a national regulatory framework governing when police forces may require escorts for abnormal load movements.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police are best placed to determine police escort requirements for abnormal loads, based on a thorough assessment of local risk, which can include consideration of the risks to road users and the potential for congestion. A decision should take account of the force’s local geography, traffic conditions and events taking place. Forces should take account of the National Police Chiefs’ Council guidance to ensure decisions are safe, practical and effective.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Guidance on the management of abnormal loads was last updated in May 2025. It sets out consistent principles to guide force’s decision based on local circumstances.

There are no plans to introduce a national regulatory framework governing the movement of abnormal loads. The government is satisfied that decisions are best handled by individual police forces to ensure decisions reflect local conditions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what metrics her Department will use to evaluate the success of the new first-year allowance in stimulating growth and productivity.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has introduced a new 40% first-year allowance (FYA) from 1 January 2026. This is a permanent new feature of the capital allowance regime. This new FYA will allow businesses to deduct much of the cost of their investment in the year they make that investment and lower their tax bill. Crucially, this FYA will be available for assets bought for leasing and for unincorporated businesses which do not benefit from full expensing, increasing the amount of relief that can be claimed in the year of investment.

For future investment, the present value and cost of capital for businesses that claim the new FYA remains broadly the same when considered alongside the changes to writing down allowances also announced at Budget. The expected impacts of this measure and planned monitoring are set out on gov.uk:

Capital allowances: new first-year allowance and reducing main rate writing-down allowances - GOV.UK

This policy is UK-wide and so businesses across all regions of the UK can claim this allowance. We are attracting international investors to opportunities across the country, with the £10 billion of investment commitments announced at our recent Regional Investment Summit.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how funding for undercover online policing units will be distributed; and what outcomes each unit is expected to deliver.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Undercover Online Police Officers (UCOLs) deploy online to identify and pursue offenders seeking to sexually exploit children. Using unique capabilities and covert tactics to target dangerous offenders, UCOLs focus on a range of offences including grooming, peer-to-peer offending, live streaming, contact offences and historic or current familial offending.

The UCOL Network has achieved continued success, surpassing its targeted annual outcomes for operational activity and responding to emerging threats, including the proliferation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

Given the UCOLs’ continued success in disrupting online child sexual abuse, the Home Office has invested £11.7m in this capability this past FY 2025/26. The government has also committed to expand the use of the Home Office’s network of Undercover Online Operatives to address Violence Against Women and Girls in its’ “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether disabled parking provision at NHS and primary care premises is adequate to meet patient demand.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No national assessment he has made of whether disabled parking provision at National Health Service and primary care premises is adequate to meet patient demand.

Disabled parking provision on the public sector estate is mandated through national planning rules, and all NHS facilities must meet the requirements.

NHS organisations decide how they provide parking locally, based on the needs of patients, visitors, and staff, as well as environmental factors. The NHS car parking guidance requires free parking to be provided for four groups: disabled people; frequent outpatient attenders; parents of sick children staying overnight; and staff working night shifts. Further information is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that families of babies identified as deaf through the newborn hearing screening programme receive timely and appropriate support from birth.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Newborn babies whose hearing screening suggests they may have deafness and hearing impairment are referred for an audiological assessment within four weeks.

A family centred approach underpins all recall processes to prioritise clear communication and support for families, ensuring transparency and minimizing harm. Working with the National Deaf Children’s Society, a range of communications have been developed with families to help support families of babies and children who are deaf or have hearing loss.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, commissioned the recently published, independent Kingdon review that includes a number of recommendations on how children’s hearing services need to be improved.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to ensure that monies raised in a geographic are ringfenced for spending in that area in the event of local government reorganisation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The proposals set out in the Fair Funding Review will ensure local government funding delivers the best value for money for taxpayers and sees funding go to the places that need it most. It will be for new authorities to decide how spending is allocated within their areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the average length of time of a GP appointment.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) elderly people and (b) people without access to the internet are able to access their consultation on mandatory eye testing for older drivers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We published the consultation on GOV.UK as a web page (HTML). This format allows people to resize the consultation text in their browser.

People can write to us or contact us at mandatoryeyesighttestingconsultation@dft.gov.uk to request the consultation in alternative formats, including a printed hard copy.

A BSL version will be made available.

Those without the internet can request a printed hard copy or mail in a printed copy and can write to us at:

Road Safety Division
Department for Transport
33 Horseferry Road
London, SW1P 4DR
United Kingdom

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the risk that unpaid carers may have acquired criminal convictions as a result of DWP system failures rather than deliberate fraud.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, have found themselves with unexpected debts due to earnings-related overpayments of Carer’s Allowance which they were asked to pay back. This only affected some of the relatively small number of Carer’s Allowance claimants who also do paid work, but the impact on some of these unpaid carers has been significant.

Liz Sayce OBE led an Independent Review into the matter. The Review’s report, which we published on 25 November 2025, alongside the Government’s response, has been invaluable in assessing how these overpayments have arisen; what can be done to support unpaid carers who have incurred debts in the past; and how further overpayments can be minimised in future.

The Review has shown that some mistakes were made, and we are determined to put them right. The Government has welcomed the report and is accepting or partially accepting 38 out of the 40 recommendations. In some cases, the changes the report is asking for have already been made. Others will take more time to put in place.

The department agrees the guidance on averaging earnings between 2015 and summer 2025 did not accurately reflect the statutory position with respect to those with fluctuating earnings. That is why we are putting steps in place to run a reassessment exercise. This exercise will begin later this year, and we will communicate details on how this will work in due course.

The department does not routinely publish data at a benefit level linked to benefit fraud prosecutions. However, data on the volume of prosecutions since 2015, where published, can be found in their respective Annual Report available here: DWP annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK. For example, for the 2024/25 figures see page 114 in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unpaid carers have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to carer’s allowance overpayments in each year since 2015.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, have found themselves with unexpected debts due to earnings-related overpayments of Carer’s Allowance which they were asked to pay back. This only affected some of the relatively small number of Carer’s Allowance claimants who also do paid work, but the impact on some of these unpaid carers has been significant.

Liz Sayce OBE led an Independent Review into the matter. The Review’s report, which we published on 25 November 2025, alongside the Government’s response, has been invaluable in assessing how these overpayments have arisen; what can be done to support unpaid carers who have incurred debts in the past; and how further overpayments can be minimised in future.

The Review has shown that some mistakes were made, and we are determined to put them right. The Government has welcomed the report and is accepting or partially accepting 38 out of the 40 recommendations. In some cases, the changes the report is asking for have already been made. Others will take more time to put in place.

The department agrees the guidance on averaging earnings between 2015 and summer 2025 did not accurately reflect the statutory position with respect to those with fluctuating earnings. That is why we are putting steps in place to run a reassessment exercise. This exercise will begin later this year, and we will communicate details on how this will work in due course.

The department does not routinely publish data at a benefit level linked to benefit fraud prosecutions. However, data on the volume of prosecutions since 2015, where published, can be found in their respective Annual Report available here: DWP annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK. For example, for the 2024/25 figures see page 114 in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to require food labels to state the method of slaughter used for meat products, including pre-stunning.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Flyde, Mr Andrew Snowden, on 17 December 2025 to PQ UIN 99375.